Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-13
THE TRAIN-R0BBERS.
Places Of the dishonest oficials Being
Filled-Mors Details Of the Crooked
work-A Prisoners
Confession, &c.


PTTTsBuRau, Aprill3 The Wholesale
arrests OF the employs o, che Pau
Handle route for robbIng freight trains
continues to be the principal topic OF
conversation among railroad-men and
citizens generally. superintendent
Taylor's Office was besiegei from early
morning by men in search Of employ
ment. They focked to the depot so
fast that line Of them extenden out
side Of the Office waiting for theirap-
plications for situations as freight con-
ductors or brakemen to be heard
Many were given employment.
The road is now fully equipped,
and there is no delay In the
movement OF freight. No arrests
bave been reported since last night.
1t is thought the officials OF the
road are satisfied with the work OF the
detectives, and that no more arrests
will be made in this city. Speaking of
the probable conviction of the men now
in Jail, Special-Agent Rue said this
morning that Of the sixty men DOW I'M
der arrest there we're not more than one
or two OF them who stood any chance OF
being shown not guilty. Said he:
1--WE had our evidence so COM
plete that We did not make an
arrest until we had sufficient
proof to show that the man was guilty.
We expect to make eight or ten more
arrests of men who worked the road
successfully for time, and then for
fear of detection took positions ON
other lines. This will swell the total
number Of arrests to sixty-eight or
seventy" Rue said the saddest case in
connection with the arrests was that of
q man whose child was dying when the
officers knocked at the door of his
house Sunday night He was sitting
With his wife by the bedside of
Inc sick child. He appeared to
be q man of more than ordinary
intelligence, and his home had an air
of refinement. When the officers told
him they had a warrant for his arrest
he seemed 20 realize at once the dis
prace into which he had fallen and
broke down completely.
The capture of j. r. Dunlap at Den
n;son, Ohio, yesterday, particularly
pleased the detectives He made q
confession, in which he said that the
stealing bad been going on for months.
He said he could give the names Of oil
the men implicated on the Pittsburgh
division, but ives afraid, saying: 81
would give you the names, officers
INT great God, they would kill me"
There was no organization among the
robbers, Dunlap said, and no regular
plan OF work. Each crew worked by
itself. 1t was common understanding
that every man should take all be cosld
dispose of to the best advantage.
There were a number of principals.
that name being applied to those who
reaped the largest benefits from the
robberies by giving others pointers as
TO what cars contained the most goods.
These persons were generously reward
ed by less prominent thieves after the
plumber had been disposed OF. The
fences, Dunlap said, werelocated in New
Philadelphia, Dennison, Steubenville,
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Columbus.
Notwithstanding Dunlap's confession
the officers of the road still believe
that the plundsrers were thoroughly or
ganized, and were carrying on the rob-
berries under the systematic direction of
shrewd leaders. Whena new man enter
Ell the service of the road il he was
Il ought the right kind of fellow he
Was initiated into the gang with rigid
cath binding him to secrecy. After
L. had been initiated it was easy
q ough to keep him in check
il he began to feel any pangs
OF conscience. 1t was broadly limited
ia them that any wrong move would re-
suit disastrously, as railroading fur
nished first-cldss opportunities for put
ting men out of the way. Young men
from the country who were juss begin
ming to run on the road were the easiest
rrey. They could soon be persuaded
that there was nothing wrong about
stealing from rich railroad companies
Heing unused to the tricks of old heads,
they were easily led on until they
were so deep in the tolls that they
could not get out if they wanted to.
While Iummaging through the effects
OF one Of the ringleaders this morning
Special Officer Miller discovered pack
sge containing six dynamite cartridges
sufficient to blow up the largest BALD
inc in the town. The discovery created
considerable alarm, and the co-hidges
were handled very gingerly. Fur
TIER examination disclosed a lot
OF fuse and caps; in fact, all ne
cessary paIlphernalia for the success
ful firing of cartridges. Immediately
after the finding of the dynamite al
investigation was begun the result of
which, however, the detectives refused
to make public. They even declined
to give the name OF the man in whose
room the stuff was found. An officer
animated that the object OF the robber
IN securing dynamite was known, and
that it would make good reading when
the proper timefor its disclosure CINE.
There is little Goubt that TIE present
exposure will lead to others on other
roads. Some of these are in the Penn
sylyania Company's system, and some
in the Baltimore and Ohio. 1t is said
that the stealing Of these other rods
was not confined TO box-car freights.
Through the aid of teamster5 and yard
agents large quantities of pig-iron and
manufactured iron and steel have been
stolen from ears in Pittsburgh and in
several other cities not far away. These
cases will be worked up soon.
DR.. MeGiynn I'm Cincinnati.